diff --git a/src/network/bridge_driver.c b/src/network/bridge_driver.c
index dcd38eda15..7ab9e29dc7 100644
--- a/src/network/bridge_driver.c
+++ b/src/network/bridge_driver.c
@@ -3856,6 +3856,41 @@ int networkRegister(void)
 
 /********************************************************/
 
+/* A unified function to log network connections and disconnections */
+
+static void
+networkLogAllocation(virNetworkDefPtr netdef,
+                     virDomainNetType actualType,
+                     virNetworkForwardIfDefPtr dev,
+                     virDomainNetDefPtr iface,
+                     bool inUse)
+{
+    char macStr[VIR_MAC_STRING_BUFLEN];
+    const char *verb = inUse ? "using" : "releasing";
+
+    if (!dev) {
+        VIR_INFO("MAC %s %s network %s (%d connections)",
+                 virMacAddrFormat(&iface->mac, macStr), verb,
+                 netdef->name, netdef->connections);
+    } else {
+        if (actualType == VIR_DOMAIN_NET_TYPE_HOSTDEV) {
+            VIR_INFO("MAC %s %s network %s (%d connections) "
+                     "physical device %04x:%02x:%02x.%x (%d connections)",
+                     virMacAddrFormat(&iface->mac, macStr), verb,
+                     netdef->name, netdef->connections,
+                     dev->device.pci.domain, dev->device.pci.bus,
+                     dev->device.pci.slot, dev->device.pci.function,
+                     dev->connections);
+        } else {
+            VIR_INFO("MAC %s %s network %s (%d connections) "
+                     "physical device %s (%d connections)",
+                     virMacAddrFormat(&iface->mac, macStr), verb,
+                     netdef->name, netdef->connections,
+                     dev->device.dev, dev->connections);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 /* Private API to deal with logical switch capabilities.
  * These functions are exported so that other parts of libvirt can
  * call them, but are not part of the public API and not in the
@@ -4236,23 +4271,8 @@ networkAllocateActualDevice(virDomainDefPtr dom,
 
     if (netdef) {
         netdef->connections++;
-        VIR_DEBUG("Using network %s, %d connections",
-                  netdef->name, netdef->connections);
-
-        if (dev) {
-            /* mark the allocation */
+        if (dev)
             dev->connections++;
-            if (actualType != VIR_DOMAIN_NET_TYPE_HOSTDEV) {
-                VIR_DEBUG("Using physical device %s, %d connections",
-                          dev->device.dev, dev->connections);
-            } else {
-                VIR_DEBUG("Using physical device %04x:%02x:%02x.%x, connections %d",
-                          dev->device.pci.domain, dev->device.pci.bus,
-                          dev->device.pci.slot, dev->device.pci.function,
-                          dev->connections);
-            }
-        }
-
         /* finally we can call the 'plugged' hook script if any */
         if (networkRunHook(network, dom, iface,
                            VIR_HOOK_NETWORK_OP_IFACE_PLUGGED,
@@ -4263,6 +4283,7 @@ networkAllocateActualDevice(virDomainDefPtr dom,
                 dev->connections--;
             goto error;
         }
+        networkLogAllocation(netdef, actualType, dev, iface, true);
     }
 
     ret = 0;
@@ -4388,10 +4409,6 @@ networkNotifyActualDevice(virDomainDefPtr dom,
                            netdef->name, actualDev);
             goto error;
         }
-
-        VIR_DEBUG("Using physical device %s, connections %d",
-                  dev->device.dev, dev->connections + 1);
-
     }  else /* if (actualType == VIR_DOMAIN_NET_TYPE_HOSTDEV) */ {
         virDomainHostdevDefPtr hostdev;
 
@@ -4441,20 +4458,12 @@ networkNotifyActualDevice(virDomainDefPtr dom,
                            dev->device.pci.slot, dev->device.pci.function);
             goto error;
         }
-
-        VIR_DEBUG("Using physical device %04x:%02x:%02x.%x, connections %d",
-                  dev->device.pci.domain, dev->device.pci.bus,
-                  dev->device.pci.slot, dev->device.pci.function,
-                  dev->connections);
     }
 
  success:
     netdef->connections++;
     if (dev)
         dev->connections++;
-    VIR_DEBUG("Using network %s, %d connections",
-              netdef->name, netdef->connections);
-
     /* finally we can call the 'plugged' hook script if any */
     if (networkRunHook(network, dom, iface, VIR_HOOK_NETWORK_OP_IFACE_PLUGGED,
                        VIR_HOOK_SUBOP_BEGIN) < 0) {
@@ -4464,6 +4473,7 @@ networkNotifyActualDevice(virDomainDefPtr dom,
         netdef->connections--;
         goto error;
     }
+    networkLogAllocation(netdef, actualType, dev, iface, true);
 
     ret = 0;
  cleanup:
@@ -4475,6 +4485,7 @@ networkNotifyActualDevice(virDomainDefPtr dom,
 }
 
 
+
 /* networkReleaseActualDevice:
  * @dom: domain definition that @iface belongs to
  * @iface:  a domain's NetDef (interface definition)
@@ -4559,10 +4570,6 @@ networkReleaseActualDevice(virDomainDefPtr dom,
                            netdef->name, actualDev);
             goto error;
         }
-
-        VIR_DEBUG("Releasing physical device %s, connections %d",
-                  dev->device.dev, dev->connections - 1);
-
     } else /* if (actualType == VIR_DOMAIN_NET_TYPE_HOSTDEV) */ {
         virDomainHostdevDefPtr hostdev;
 
@@ -4594,11 +4601,6 @@ networkReleaseActualDevice(virDomainDefPtr dom,
                            hostdev->source.subsys.u.pci.addr.function);
             goto error;
         }
-
-        VIR_DEBUG("Releasing physical device %04x:%02x:%02x.%x, connections %d",
-                  dev->device.pci.domain, dev->device.pci.bus,
-                  dev->device.pci.slot, dev->device.pci.function,
-                  dev->connections - 1);
     }
 
  success:
@@ -4606,13 +4608,10 @@ networkReleaseActualDevice(virDomainDefPtr dom,
         netdef->connections--;
         if (dev)
             dev->connections--;
-
-        VIR_DEBUG("Releasing network %s, %d connections",
-                  netdef->name, netdef->connections);
-
         /* finally we can call the 'unplugged' hook script if any */
         networkRunHook(network, dom, iface, VIR_HOOK_NETWORK_OP_IFACE_UNPLUGGED,
                        VIR_HOOK_SUBOP_BEGIN);
+        networkLogAllocation(netdef, actualType, dev, iface, false);
     }
     ret = 0;
  cleanup: